Ski binding



G. S. SPRAGUE May 8, 1934.

SKI BINDING Filed Dec. 16 1952 lnvenTor. Go\d\ /v\r1 S. Sprague ATTys Patented May 8, 193

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to devices for attaching skis to the heavy-soled shoe of the skier and commonly called a ski binding. The invention relates particularly to the type of ski binding which provides a means of connection between the shoe and the ski which enables the skier to exercise lateral control of the ski to guide himself, negotiate turns, etc.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a ski binding which is readily adjusted to the shoe and which may be rigidly locked in its adjusted position upon the ski.

A further object of the invention is to provide a non-adjustable safety attaching means in addition to the locking means employed in connection with the adjustment of the toe irons.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ski binding in which the toe irons have a smooth exterior surface with no projecting eleinents.

Other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing and will be particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a general View of the ski binding secured upon the ski showing a portion of the heel strap.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the ski binding in position on the ski.

Fig. 3 is a detail view in side elevation partially in cross section to illustrate certain features of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view on line 5-5, Fig. 2.

The drawing illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention. The toe irons 1 are desirably made of strong, light material such as the aluminum alloys commonly employed where lightness and durability are desired. The toe irons may be made in any desirable manner such as by means of die casting. The toe clamping assembly for each ski is composed of a pair of toe irons which are laterally adjustable upon the ski to accommodate ski shoes of different shapes and sizes.

Each toe iron is composed of a flat bottom plate 2 and an integral side plate 3 extending upward substantially vertically from the outer edge of the bottom plates. The bottom plates are provided with a plurality of transverse slots 4. Surrounding and co-extensive with the slots 4 are formed flat areas 5 which are desirably sunken slightly below the plane of the upper surface of the bottom plates. The areas 5 are provided with corrugations 6 preferably extending longitudinal- 1y of the toe irons. The corrugations may be of any suitable cross sectional shape and are hereso in shown as tooth-like V-shaped projections. These depressed areas 5 constitute recesses having a fiat bottom provided with a corrugated surface.

The toe irons are secured to the ski by means of screws 7 passing through the slots 4. The screws '7 also pass through retaining plates 8. The plates 8 are provided with corrugations 9 on their under face which are complementary to and engage the corrugations 6 of the areas 5. 78 The heads of the screws '7 are received in closely fitting apertures 10 in the plates 8. The slots 4 permit bodily lateral adjustment of the toe irons. In order to fit the toe irons to the shoe, the shoe is placed in proper alignment on the ski and the toe irons are moved into contact with the shoe sole and their position on the ski is marked or they may be temporarily held in place while the screws 7 are tightened. By tightening the screws 7, the plates 8 are forced into engagement with the flat areas 5 which causes the corrugations 6 and 9 to interlock. Any force tending to move the toe iron thereafter is transmitted directly to the screws 7 which have a rigid connection with the wood of the ski. Furthermore, the screws 7 when tightly set exert a heavy pressure directly downward on the toe irons, which pressure is distributed over a substantial area by the plates 8. This downward pressure clamps the toe irons firmly against the top of the ski. This direct clamping action, together with the interlocking of the corrugations on the plates 8 and the toe irons, constitutes a very rigid attachment. If it be desired, however, to change the adjustment, this may be readily and quickly done by loosening the screws and re-adjusting the toe irons.

When the screws are used for such strenuous sport as jumping, racing, and the like, an additional independent attaching means is provided to insure perfect safety for the skier. One or more screw holes 11 are provided in each toe iron to receive screws 12 which are tightened down upon the toe irons after the proper adjustments have been made. When more than one of these additional screw holes is provided, one of them at a time may be employed to make the safety at tachment. If subsequent adjustments are desired to be made, one of the other holes 11 may then be used to make the attachment.

The usual sole clamps 13 are provided for H0 edge of the side plates.

gripping the upper surface of the shoe sole. The clamps 13 have an inwardly extending shoulder or lip 14 and are bodily vertically adjustable upon the inner wall of the side plates 3. The sole clamps 13 are provided with a vertical portion 15 which is received in a vertical recess 16 in the inner wall of the side plates. The side walls 1'? of the recesses 16 are provided with preferably horizontal tooth-like corrugations 18 which engage and interlock with complementary corrugations on the portion 15 of the sole clamps. In order vertically to adjust the sole clamps, the complementary corrugations 18 of the recess 16 and the corrugations on the sole clamp are interlocked at the desired height and a screw 19 passing through the sole clamp and having threaded engagement with the side walls 3 is tightened to secure the sole clamp in position. In order to provide for the relative movement between the sole clamp and the toe iron during adjustment, the screws 19 are received in slots 20 in the sole clamp. The sides of the slots 20 are desirably tapered to conform with the tapered under face of the flat-headed screws 19. The heads of the screws are thus permitted to enter the sole clamp until their upper extremities are flush with the inner face of the side plates. Other means, however, may be employed to countersink the screw heads. Due to the construction and location of the sole clamps 13, the screw slot 20 is necessarily limited in length. If it is desired to make a greater adjustment than the slot will permit, an additional threaded aperture 21 may be made in the side wall of the toe irons above or below the normal position of the screw and to make the abnormal adjustment, the screw 19 is removed from its normal position and inserted in the additional threaded aperture 21.

If for any reason it is desired not to use the sole clamps 13, the lip portions thereof may be removed in any manner such as by sawing or filing and the remaining portion of the sole clamp left in place. A strap may then be inserted in the slots 22 provided for that purpose near the upper The strap is extended over the toe of the shoe and serves to retain the shoe within the toe irons.

A particularly efficient connection is provided between the toe irons and the heel strap 23. It is very desirable that the connection between the toe irons and the heel strap shall be sufficiently strong to prevent all possibility of the heel strap becoming disengaged from the toe irons as ;such a condition may result in serious injury to the skier.

It is also quite important that relative movement between the heel strap and the toe irons be at all times free and easy. The construction disclosed herein provides the ideal connection between the toe iron and the heel strap. The rear ends of the side plates 3 are perforated by an aperture 24 which is in the form of a figure 8. Its end portions are preferably substantially circular while at its mid portion the slots are narrowed by reason of convexedly curved projections 25. The projections 25 are desirably substantially spherical, although any generally curved contour may be employed. The ends of the heel strap 23 are provided with U-shaped metallic connecting members 26 which are looped through the apertures 24 and riveted or otherwise secured to the straps. The inner face 27 of the looped portion of the connecting members 26 is substantially fiat and bears against the convex portions 25 of the slot 24. During the relative movement between the toe irons and the heel strap, the flat surface 27 of the connecting members 26 roll upon the convex portion 25 of the slot 24. It will be noted, therefore, that no sliding friction is present during such movement. An extremely free movement is therefore permitted between the toe irons and the heel strap. The enlarged ends of the slots 24 permit the looped portion of the connecting members 26 to have a substantial angular motion relatively to the toe irons without engaging the sides of the slot. Such a connection is entirely free from the possibility of the flexibility of the joint becoming destroyed by corrosion or accumulation of foreign matter between the bearing surfaces. If desired, the bottom face of the toe irons may be provided with sharp projections 28 which bite into the wood of the ski when the toe irons are secured in place, thus providing an additional assurance that there will be no relative movement between the toe irons and the ski after they are secured in position.

It will be noted that the outer surfaces 29 of the toe irons are smooth and free of projections. This construction is particularly desirable since it reduces the resistance of forward motion through the snow to a minimum and also is a very important safety factor. In many types of ski binding the construction includes certain projections or roughened areas on the outer faces of the toe irons which tend to engage with small obstructions such as grass, twigs and the like which not only retard the motion of the skier but are very liable to destroy his balance and cause a fall with the possibility of injury. The user of the ski binding herein presented has the advantage of the various safety features incorporated in its design such as the rigid connection between the toe irons and the ski and the positive and strong connection between the heel strap and the toe irons which is afforded by the U-shaped connections 26 which are permanently inserted in the apertures 24.

Having thus described the invention. what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Let ters Patent, is:

A ski binding comprising a pair of toe irons, each having a horizontal bottom plate and a vertical side plate, each bottom plate having a pair of transversely-extending slots and being recessed on its upper face circumjacent said slots, each recess having a fiat corrugated bottom, a clamping plate in each recess having a thickness equal to the depth of the recess and also having a corrugated under surface complementary to and engaging the corrugations in the bottom face of the recess, screws extending through the clamping plates and the slots for screwing the toe irons to a ski, each vertical side plate having a vertical recess in its inner face with serrated vertical sides, a sole clamp in each recess provided with serrated edges to engage the serrated sides of the groove, each sole clamp having a laterally-extending sole-engaging lip and also having a vertical slot, a screw in each slot screw threaded into the side plate and by which the sole clamp is retained in its adjusted position.

GOLDWIN S. SPRAGUE. 

